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Time of India
6 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Khattar reviews progress of Hry atomic power project, emphasises clean energy development
1 2 Chandigarh: Manohar Lal Khattar , the Union minister for power and housing and urban affairs, along with chief minister Nayab Singh Saini, visited the Haryana Atomic Power Project located in Gorakhpur, Fatehabad, on Saturday. Khattar said the project would meet the long-term energy needs not only of Haryana but also of north India. During the visit, the two reviewed the progress of ongoing construction works and instructed the officials concerned to complete these as per the set standards at the earliest. Khattar emphasised that nuclear energy was an environmentally favourable means of energy production. NPCIL project director Jivendra Kumar Jain, through a presentation, provided information about the department of atomic energy and the NPCIL's work. He also elaborated on the increase in nuclear energy production, the construction of the Gorakhpur Nuclear Power Plant, CSR, and awareness programmes. The former CM said the project would not only fulfil the long-term energy needs of Haryana and north India but also strengthen the commitment to clean and sustainable energy solutions. During the review meeting, the Union minister obtained detailed information about the ongoing construction works and instructed officials to complete the work on time in accordance with safety standards. He emphasised the importance of raising awareness among the public to eliminate any doubts regarding nuclear safety and suggested informing nearby communities about nuclear safety. Khattar instructed officials to prioritise visionary development works by coordinating with administrative officials and public representatives for better utilisation of the CSR funds. He also said nuclear power plants were cost-effective in the long run compared to others and have minimal pollution issues. He also announced plans to plant over 20,000 trees in the nuclear plant complex during the upcoming monsoon season. All states have been urged to ensure establishing at least one nuclear power plant and expanding existing plants. Rajya Sabha MP Subhash Barala, chief secretary Anurag Rastogi, additional chief secretary (Power) Apoorva Kumar Singh, CEA member Ajay Talegaonkar, HRPA director Suresh Babu, project director N K Mitharwal, Sanjeev Kumar Singla, H K Nagotia, and other dignitaries and officials were also present. MSID:: 121849549 413 | Follow more information on Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad here . Get real-time live updates on rescue operations and check full list of passengers onboard AI 171 .
India Gazette
6 days ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
Haryana CM, Union Minister Manohar Lal visit Haryana Anu Vidyut Pariyojana in Fatehabad district
New Delhi [India] June 14 (ANI): Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and Union Minister of Power and Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal jointly visited the Haryana Anu Vidyut Pariyojana located in Gorakhpur, Fatehabad on Saturday. During the visit, the Chief Minister reviewed the progress of the ongoing construction works and directed the officers to complete all works as per the prescribed standards at the earliest. He emphasised that nuclear energy is a better source of power generation from an environmental point of view. In the review meeting, Jivendra Kumar Jain, Project Director of Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL), gave a detailed presentation, an official release said. He shared information about the work being done by the Department of Atomic Energy and NPCIL, including the construction of the Gorakhpur Nuclear Power Plant, efforts to increase nuclear power production, and various CSR and public awareness programs being carried out in the region. Manohar Lal stated that this ambitious project will not only fulfill the long-term energy needs of Haryana but also benefit the entire northern region of the country. He emphasized that it will also strengthen the commitment to clean and sustainable energy solutions. He further said that projects like this will play a crucial role in helping India achieve its target of net zero carbon emissions by 2070. Describing it as a visionary initiative, he said that the project marks a significant step toward strengthening the country's leadership and self-reliance in the field of nuclear energy under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. During the review meeting, the Union Minister received detailed information about the ongoing construction works and instructed officers to ensure timely completion in accordance with established safety standards. He emphasized the importance of raising public awareness about nuclear safety, so that there are no misconceptions among the general public. He directed officers to engage with residents in nearby areas and inform them about the safety measures in place for the nuclear project. The Union Minister emphasized the need for better utilization of CSR funds. He directed them to coordinate closely with administrative officers and public representatives to prioritize visionary development projects. He further stated that this nuclear power project will play a significant role in realizing Prime Minister's vision of making India a developed nation by 2047. Highlighting the advantages of nuclear energy, he said that nuclear power plants are more cost-effective in the long run and have minimal environmental impact compared to other energy sources. Manohar Lal also instructed that over 20,000 saplings be planted within the nuclear plant premises during the upcoming monsoon season to promote environmental sustainability. The Union Minister stated that all states have been urged to explore the feasibility of setting up nuclear plants and to ensure that at least one nuclear power plant is established wherever possible. He also emphasized the need to expand existing nuclear facilities to meet future energy demands. (ANI)
Time of India
6 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Union Minister Khattar reviews progress of Fatehabad nuclear power project
Union Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Saturday reviewed the progress of the nuclear power project being implemented by NPCIL under the Department of Atomic Energy in Haryana's Fatehabad district. Khattar, along with Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, visited the Gorakhpur Haryana Anu Vidyut Pariyojana (GHAVP) and reviewed the progress of North India's first nuclear power plant. Once completed, 50 per cent of the electricity generated will be allocated to Haryana. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 임플란트 최대 할인 지원해드려요 임플란터 더 알아보기 Undo Khattar appreciated the efforts of Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) and reiterated the importance of nuclear power in achieving clean, safe, and reliable energy for the nation's future. Senior government officials were also present at the event. Live Events The project involves setting up 4x700 MWe Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) at a total project cost of Rs 41,594 crore. The commercial operation is expected to start by March 2031. "This ambitious project will not only meet the long-term energy needs of Haryana and North India but will also further strengthen India's commitment towards clean and sustainable energy solutions," Khattar said in a post on X in Hindi. The minister said projects like GHAVP will play a vital role in helping India achieve its net zero emission target by 2070. "This project is a visionary step towards making India a leader in the field of nuclear energy technology and ensuring energy self-sufficiency under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi," Khattar said. Speaking to the media later, Khattar said that unit one and two are now expected to be operational by 2031. "By 2031, two power units will become operational and in 2032, two more power plants will become operational. These four units will produce 2,800 MW power, out of which Haryana will get 50 per cent of the power and 50 per cent will go to the central pool so that it can be used wherever needed," Khattar said. Khattar said, "In January 2014, the project was given clearance. Generally, the time period given for setting up nuclear power plants is thirteen to thirteen-and-a-half years, but I was told that there have been some reasons for delay, which include technical and administrative reasons". Asked about his recent statement that the government is working on a framework to standardise the default temperatures of air conditioners in the range of 20 to 28 degrees Celsius. He said many feel consumers will benefit from the move and it will also result in power saving and uninterrupted and reliable power supply. Saving power is necessary. Last year's peak power demand was 250 gigawatt and we have touched 242 gigawatt till June 13. Meanwhile, Khattar was apprised by the officials of NPCIL's Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives. Nearly Rs 80 crore has been spent on community development activities like the construction of roads, and schools, provision of medical vans, and development of an astro turf hockey ground, an official statement said. "Atom on Wheels" mobile exhibition van was highlighted as a key outreach initiative to educate and engage the public on nuclear energy and safety. Meanwhile, according to a Haryana government statement, Chief Minister Saini reviewed the progress of the ongoing construction works at the project site and directed the officers to complete all works as per the prescribed standards at the earliest. Saini emphasized that nuclear energy is a better source of power generation from an environmental point of view. According to the statement, in the review meeting, Jivendra Kumar Jain, Project Director of NPCIL, gave a detailed presentation about the project. The statement said that during the meeting Union Minister Khattar stated that this ambitious project will not only fulfill the long-term energy needs of Haryana but also benefit the entire northern region of the country. During the review meeting, the Union Minister received detailed information about the ongoing construction works and instructed officers to ensure timely completion in accordance with established safety standards. He emphasized the importance of raising public awareness about nuclear safety, so that there are no misconceptions among the general public. He directed officers to engage with residents in nearby areas and inform them about the safety measures in place. Highlighting the advantages of nuclear energy, Khattar said nuclear power plants are more cost-effective in the long-run and have minimal environmental impact compared to other energy sources. Khattar instructed the officials concerned that over 20,000 saplings be planted within the nuclear plant premises during the upcoming monsoon season to promote environmental sustainability. According to the statement, the Union Minister stated that all states have been urged to explore the feasibility of setting up nuclear plants and to ensure that at least one nuclear power plant is established wherever possible. He also emphasized the need to expand existing nuclear facilities to meet future energy demands. Khattar stressed that to achieve better outcomes; the construction of the Fatehabad project should be expedited. He added that any challenges encountered during the process should be promptly communicated to both the Central and State governments for resolution. After the meeting, Khattar and Saini visited the project site and inspected the ongoing construction work. The Chief Minister directed officers to not only focus on completing the current phase of construction but also to prepare a roadmap for the timely commencement and completion of the second phase of the project. On this occasion, Rajya Sabha MP Subhash Barala, Haryana Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi, Additional Chief Secretary, Power, Apoorav Kumar Singh, were also present. PTI
India Today
13-06-2025
- Business
- India Today
Small Modular Reactor: How the world is watching India's nuclear gamble
A silent nuclear moment is unfolding in India, and unlike the bombast of past energy revolutions—solar parks inaugurated with drone flyovers or wind corridors showcased in global summits—this one is quiet, careful, but potentially far more its heart lies an unlikely acronym: SMR, short for Small Modular Reactor, and the unassuming promise that India might finally build a civilian nuclear future that is safe, scalable and sovereign. The world is watching because if India succeeds, it may not just change its own energy destiny, it could alter the global nuclear of the initial momentum has been domestic. Last month, the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) floated a request for proposals to site two indigenously designed, 220 MW small modular reactors within industrial zones. But this was no mere bureaucratic announcement. The model was radical: the reactors would be built using private industrial capital, operated by NPCIL, with ownership reverting to the state for a token Rs 1, while the companies would receive long-term, cheap, clean power at prices beginning as low as Rs 0.60 per unit. Tariffs would rise by just a paise a year within days of the call, some of India's biggest energy-intensive businesses lined up. Mukesh Ambani's Reliance, which has announced an aggressive pivot to green hydrogen and battery storage, reportedly expressed early interest. Gautam Adani's group, with major power, cement and port operations, quietly signaled JSW, looking to decarbonise its steel production, entered feasibility talks. Both Hindalco and Vedanta, electricity-guzzling aluminium and metals giants, acknowledged the commercial logic. And Tata Power, which straddles coal and renewables, has internally modelled SMR-linked transmission clusters for its future corporate interest has fundamentally changed the energy conversation in New Delhi. What started as a niche DAE (Department of Atomic Energy) project is now being viewed as a national industrial mission—India's shot at becoming a manufacturing and operational hub for the next generation of nuclear political timing has only sharpened the urgency. In February, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman had set aside Rs 1 trillion in budgetary backing for long-gestation strategic infrastructure, including SMRs. A separate Nuclear Energy Mission, with a Rs 20,000 crore allocation, is in the works for numbers tell a story. India wants to increase its nuclear capacity to 22 GW by 2031 and to an ambitious 100 GW by 2047. While that includes large reactors, it's the modular segment that now has the attention of planners and financiers alike. If it materialises at scale, it will also allow India to begin replacing coal from its base load mix, but also serve as a flexible resource for balancing and recalibrating the grid—especially as the share of variable renewables like solar and wind surges. SMRs, with their dispatchable nature and smaller footprint, offer the kind of grid stability coal once did, but without the India's push has not gone unnoticed. The Donald Trump administration, returning to power with a renewed focus on energy dominance and reshoring strategic supply chains, is keenly watching the Indian SMR moment. It continues a policy foundation it had itself laid during Trump's first term, when US agencies launched the FIRST (Foundational Infrastructure for the Responsible Use of Small Modular Reactor Technology) initiative to promote American-designed nuclear reactors with a second Trump term underway, SMRs are once again central to US foreign energy policy—viewed as a clean, exportable technology that can counter Chinese and Russian reactor diplomacy. It did get space in Trump-Narendra Modi joint statement in February this year. Washington sees India not only as a vital test-bed for SMR deployment in the global south, but also as a long-term collaborator in developing next-generation nuclear ecosystems that combine American design with Indian manufacturing and deployment World Bank Group's interest is even more striking. While historically reticent about nuclear energy, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) has held at least two high-level dialogues in the past year focused exclusively on SMRs in emerging markets—with India as the centerpiece. The rationale is straightforward: if SMRs can de-risk power production in South Asia, they can be the backbone of green industrial growth, especially in countries with large manufacturing bases but insufficient clean base-load capacity. Clean energy investors, increasingly constrained by the intermittency of renewables, are warming to this such as Canada, US, Russia, China, and the UK have already invested in SMR prototypes and limited deployments. Argentina has a 25 MW SMR nearing operationalisation. The UAE, already a nuclear player with the Barakah plant, is exploring Korean-designed SMRs for desalination. South Korea's SMART SMR design is being actively marketed in Southeast Asia. For India, which already operates 22 nuclear reactors generating just 3.1 per cent of its electricity, the leap to SMRs could finally decouple nuclear growth from foreign dependency, while also positioning it as a clean tech exporter to the Global it's not without friction. For SMRs to be commercially viable in India, one legislative hurdle must be crossed: the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010. The law, unique to India, puts supplier liability for nuclear accidents squarely on the private vendor—a provision that has scared away most global manufacturers. No country with a civilian nuclear programme has such a clause. And while public opinion in India has historically supported strict nuclear liability norms, government insiders now admit that without amendments, the SMR dream may remain just that. In her Union Budget speech, Sitharaman has made commitments of reworking these legislations. However, as the country is still nursing wounds of Bhopal Gas tragedy of 1984, reworking liability clauses will not be is building—quietly, but visibly. While corporate and strategic sectors are aligned, some domestic lobby groups have begun to voice concern. Trade unions have flagged safety risks, citing the complexity of managing dozens of decentralized reactors. A few legacy power sector players—especially coal-linked ones—have lobbied against faster clearances for SMR zones, fearing that the new model may cannibalize their regulatory the Sangh Parivar's response has been measured, not oppositional. Organisations such as Swadeshi Jagran Manch and Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh have taken a neutral stance so far, but are in consultation with scientists, former Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) officials and energy security experts to firm up their position. Their concerns are twofold: first, the geopolitical calibrations that a strong Indo-US SMR collaboration might require, and second, long-term safety assurance in an Indian operational the new technology may help to cut down dependence on Chinese imports. However, they remain supportive of India's indigenous development of Bharat Small Reactors (BSR), a parallel effort within DAE to produce entirely homegrown modular reactors with local components and supply careful balancing act also reflects the Modi government's broader nuclear strategy—globalise technology, localise production and indigenise control. The emerging blueprint for SMRs in India, government sources confirm, will require all critical systems to have 51 per cent domestic value addition. Private companies will be able to own the infrastructure, but NPCIL or BHAVINI (Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Limited) will continue to hold the regulatory licence and operational command. This is aimed at maintaining public confidence and ensuring that the 'nuclear commons' is not privatised in important is the strategic calculus. In the aftermath of India's tensions with China and the global supply chain reset, SMRs offer a way to reduce dependence on Chinese solar modules and battery components. A successful SMR rollout would give India a dispatchable, low-carbon anchor around which industrial and residential power consumption could be reorganised. From freight corridors to defence outposts, from port-linked economic zones to high-demand urban clusters, SMRs could be deployed in locations where grid expansion is slow or real-world prototypes being examined are modular in more than name. Some are prefabricated in factories and trucked to site, reducing construction timelines from a decade to less than three years. Others, like NuScale's VOYGR reactors, feature passive safety systems that eliminate the need for human intervention during emergencies. Indian engineers are working to adapt these designs to local climatic, seismic, and hydrological conditions. There is even talk of creating a sovereign SMR insurance pool, led by GIC and LIC, to ease liability fears and ensure quick financial response in case of India, which has already committed to net-zero emissions by 2070 and has an electricity demand that's expected to triple by 2040, the energy mix question is not ideological—it is existential. Coal, despite ongoing use, is being edged out on environmental and financing grounds. Solar and wind, while fast-growing, have load curve limitations. Hydro is facing ecological and geopolitical constraints. That leaves nuclear as the only non-fossil, scalable, 24/7 base-load source. And within that, SMRs are the only form that can be built fast, financed flexibly, and deployed modularly across varied public messaging remains cautious. Officials are keen to avoid overstating what is, at this point, a still-theoretical energy leap. Pilot projects, even in the best-case scenario, will take until 2028–29 to show operational proof. Large-scale rollouts, even with supportive policy, could take a decade. But there is growing alignment—between government, capital, and engineering—for a nuclear future that is less monolithic and more that alignment holds, India could do for modular nuclear what it did for generic vaccines: scale it, secure it, and share it with the world. For now, what's clear is this: the reactors may be small, but the ambition is anything to India Today Magazine
Indian Express
12-06-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
Fuel for a green Viksit Bharat
India's aspiration to be 'viksit' by the centenary year of its independence, while adhering to the net zero carbon emissions target for 2070, needs a strategy for sustained per capita energy use. The strategy also needs to focus on achieving a Human Development Index of 0.95, which is characteristic of advanced countries, and provide clean energy for this purpose. This corresponds to around 28,000 TWh of total energy annually. The available clean energy sources to address this need are renewable energy, large hydro power and nuclear. Among them, nuclear energy's contribution would need to be at least around 20,000 TWh annually since the other two together are unlikely to exceed 8,000 TWh. Today, India consumes around 9,800 TWh annually with around 96 per cent coming from fossil resources. Clean energy needs to increase 70 times and around 70 per cent of it needs to come from nuclear in 45 years. After Independence, Homi Bhabha had advocated a three-stage nuclear power programme aimed at long term energy security and autonomy for the country. We seem to be losing that focus. Surely, there are constraints and challenges, some of which are external. However, a sharper focus on our end goal, despite the strong foreign vendor-driven narratives that seem to be gaining currency of late, is something we cannot afford to lose sight of. Any nuclear programme has to necessarily begin with uranium — the only natural source of fissionable material. While our uranium resources were modest to begin with, the emphasis on exploration has led to an increase in stocks. The ore grades, however, are very low. These reserves, despite the higher cost they entail, are a key source of energy security, especially in a situation when uranium imports are disrupted. Access to foreign uranium markets has enabled the first-stage nuclear programme to grow well beyond 10 GWe, a threshold that was envisaged earlier. However, the second-stage programme of fast breeder reactors is yet to take off. We must, however, celebrate our domestic pressurised heavy water reactors (PHWRs), the proven and competitive technology that meets global benchmarks. While the 100 GWe nuclear mission launched by the government would still leave us about twentyfold below the nuclear capacity required for a net zero 'Viksit Bharat', realising it within the specified timeframe requires accelerated deployment. This, in turn, depends essentially on proven technologies — domestic PHWRs being the primary workhorse, supplemented by proven large light water reactors (LWRs). We must also bring in multiple deployment agencies, beyond NPCIL and now NTPC. The PHWR technology must be seen as a common national good and made available to potential domestic agencies for accelerated deployment with a mentoring approach. Efforts to minimise the costs are necessary in the case of LWRs by following the Make in India approach. 100 GWe capacity would need around 20,000 tons of uranium annually. This could be around 15 per cent of global uranium production. Given the constraints of geopolitics as well as potential demand-supply mismatch in a growing nuclear energy scenario, this may well become a major energy security challenge of a dimension that is more serious compared to oil and gas today. The three-stage programme, which involves recycling nuclear fuel, enables 60-70 times more energy from the same quantity of mined fuel. A quick shift from mined uranium to recycled uranium and plutonium in fast reactors has thus become an energy security imperative. In view of the delay in deploying fast breeder reactors (FBRs), irradiating thorium, of which we have the largest reserves, in our PHWRs has become crucial. That we are now leveraging much greater quantities of uranium than envisaged earlier also enables large-scale introduction of thorium in our PHWRs. This would help us in preparing to address the energy security challenge by recycling thorium-based spent fuel in molten salt reactors (MSR) and advance the third stage despite delays in the second stage. While the plan to introduce thorium in fast reactors to lead us into the third stage should continue, this would enable a faster route to thorium MSRs. One could also link high-power GeV range proton accelerators with subcritical systems based on such configurations to facilitate capacity growth. SMRs, which are dominating the narrative today, would take at least two decades to mature before deployment at scale can begin. Not only is this inconsistent with the 2047 timeline, the uranium required will also be harder to access at that time. Instead, we would be better off devoting our R&D resources to developing thorium MSR-based SMRs as well as other technologies relevant to the second and third stage that would take us closer to our thorium goal. High Assay Low Enriched Uranium (HALEU) and irradiation qualification of thorium fuel for high burn-up performance are prerequisites to introducing thorium in PHWRs. They also have several advantages with respect to economics, safety, waste management and proliferation resistance — the move would be attractive without any significant change in the reactor. HALEU is also fast becoming the choice for many advanced power reactor systems just as it has become so for research reactors. This is an area for international cooperation benefiting not just India but also the emerging economy countries. ANEEL fuel, which is under development, aims to achieve just that. One should expect the 100 GWe nuclear mission to be a forerunner to the much larger nuclear energy deployment necessary for net zero Viksit Bharat and not reach a virtual dead end. The writer, a nuclear scientist, was director of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre
